The Next Chevy Malibu Will Look Great If This Teaser Is Anything to Go By

Bob Sorokanich

Mar 4, 2015

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Whoa, check out the swoopy fastback profile. Dig the way the rear glass flows into a subtle lip spoiler, which pans out into broad rear shoulders with a rising character line. It’s very Tesla Model S-meets-Audi A7. So which European executive-level luxury badge will we find on the nose? None other than the gold bow tie of prestige: This is your first undisguised glimpse at the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu.

Chevy released this teaser image today ahead of the car’s debut at the New York International Auto Show next month. As we deduced from heavily camo’d spy shots we saw last summer, the all-new ’Bu sports a more stylish fastback compared with the current model. The sleeker sheetmetal will accompany a wheelbase that’s up by nearly four inches, according to Chevy, which promises that most of the stretch has gone toward increasing the current car’s skimpy rear legroom.

Despite that growth, Chevy foretells a very substantial 300-pound weight savings over the outgoing model, thanks to a hefty infusion of high-strength steel. As for the design, GM vice president of global design Ed Welburn touts its proportions. “The roofline has been stretched rearward, giving a more sleek profile, while the front wheels have moved forward, and front and rear overhangs have been reduced,” he said in Chevy’s press release. “These cues help Malibu appear more dynamic and sophisticated.”

Actually improved dynamics and greater sophistication will definitely lift the Malibu’s reputation. Between the weight loss, the promised gains in interior space, and—at least judging by this squinty tease—a much more handsome body, we’re definitely curious to see the lights turned on the 2016 model.